Will Indian Teams play at PUBG Mobile Esports Nations Cup 2026?

The Esports World Cup Foundation just dropped one of the biggest PUBG Mobile news stories for this year. Yes, Krafton's trademark battle royale game has been added to ENC 2026. The PUBG Mobile Esports Nations Cup 2026 will commence from November 3 to November 8, 2026, in Saudi Arabia. That being said, it's a big step for Krafton as their title joins the list of other big competitive titles, such as Rainbow Six Siege, Counter Strike 2, Honor of Kings, and other games.

As per the norms, 32 teams across different regions will participate on the big stage for a hefty prize pool of $1,320,000 USD. Keeping that in mind, this article will explore some basic information about PUBG Mobile Esports Nations Cup 2026 and whether Indian teams have the chance to represent their nation on the big stage.

EWCF Explained the Qualifiers System

As discussed, PUBG Mobile has just joined the prestigious list of games at the ENC 2026. Therefore, preparations for PUBG Mobile Esports Nations Cup are going on in full swing. This Esports News will surely be a big step for Krafton. On the other hand, the EWCF authority has explained that 32 teams are about to participate in the big stage, and the distribution will be:

A total of 16 teams will be receiving direct invitations. Among them, 12 will obtain the invite based on their PUBG Mobile national team rankings. The remaining four will be “Special Invites” in four different regions.

Coming to the next half, a total of 16 squads have to secure their spot through regional qualifiers. As per the officials, it'll start from July 10 to 12, 2026. Amidst this, 14 will be through the regionals, and the remaining two will join via Wildcard slots. The slot distribution for PUBG Mobile Esports Nations Cup 2026 regional qualification looks something like this:

Check out our coverage for PUBG Mobile 4.3 Release Date.

Can Indian teams Play In the Esports Nations Cup 2026?

For context, Indian gamers don't have access to PUBG Mobile. Instead, they play BGMI (BattleGrounds Mobile India), which is also developed and published by Krafton itself. Despite having this setback, we've seen Indian teams participating and performing well in PMGC and PMWC tournaments over the years. Therefore, it's quite evident that Indian teams have the skillset and opportunity to represent themselves at the global stage.

Now, coming to the Esports Nations Cup qualification part, officials suggest that four teams will receive “Special Invites” from four different regions. So, considering an Indian team has already received invites for the EWC tournament, it's highly likely that one of the four slots will be for the BGIS 2026 champions. Talking about BGIS, check out our recent coverage of the BGIS 2026 Quarterfinals.

In case it doesn't happen, it has to be the other way. If we remember the regionals qualifying criteria correctly, East and South Asia combined have only one slot. If the BGIS winners don't get the Special Invite, they must participate in the regional qualifiers to secure their tickets for the PUBG Mobile Esports Nations Cup 2026.

So, that's all about PUBG Mobile Esports Nations Cup 2026 and whether an Indian team can represent their nation. If you've liked this article so far, check out our coverage of how to contact PUBG Mobile Customer Service.